church music not hymns in sacrament

hi all can you sing a none hymn but a church song ie seminary song as a musical item in sacrament

Handbook 2, 14.4.2:

"The hymns are the basic music for worship services and are standard for all congregational singing. In addition, other appropriate selections may be used for prelude and postlude music, choir music, and special musical presentations. If musical selections other than the hymns are used, they should be in keeping with the spirit of the hymns. Texts should be doctrinally correct."

Although your local leadership, who has the responsibility (presiding authority) for the meeting, may have further limitations or interpretations of the handbook, and their decisions would dictate musical choices.

When the Church first put out more contemporary-sounding music in 1974 as part of the 'Like Unto Us' media kit for the Book of Mormon part of Seminary, the album that had the music actually had a note on the back of the albums cover that said that those songs should not be used in Sacrament meetings.

As to why we need to stick to the hymns and other similar type music where deemed appropriate, I have heard several things on this.

One was the June 2003 Worldwide Leadership Training, and this may not have gotten into the Ensign article about sacrament meeting that showed up later, but was in the original talk in the booklet for that meeting, was that Elder Nelson said during that talk, that 'we must not lose the sacred music of this church'.

Dan Carter, himself a composer of sacred music, and also at about that time a member of the General Church Music Committee, said that there is another reason for staying with the hymns during Sunday meetings, particularly sacrament. One is that the hymns present the music in a way that invites the Spirit to testify of truth to both member and nonmember of the doctrines taught in the hymn and in the rest of the meeting. The other reason goes along with that, and that is, that sacrament meeting is often the very first church meeting investigators typically go to (there are instances where priesthood/RS comes first, but it's not all that common). Therefore, we need to get it right doctrinally, and staying with the hymns helps to avoid any possibility of doctrinal issues, even though the seminary music and many other LDS songs are doctrinally right. W That is why things are done the way they are by and large.

JamesAnderson wrote:One was the June 2003 Worldwide Leadership Training, and this may not have gotten into the Ensign article about sacrament meeting that showed up later, but was in the original talk in the booklet for that meeting, was that Elder Nelson said during that talk, that 'we must not lose the sacred music of this church'.

The August 2004 Ensign article is Worshiping at Sacrament Meeting. On this topic, Elder Nelson simply says: "The hymns of the Church are the basic music for worship services and the standard for congregational singing. Other appropriate selections may be used for prelude and postlude music, choir music, and special musical selections." I don't see why we need to put additional restrictions on music selections that he did not mention, and that are not in the current handbook. I'm speaking in general, of course -- it's certainly true that local leaders may set their own policies within those guidelines.

JamesAnderson wrote:staying with the hymns helps to avoid any possibility of doctrinal issues

When musical selections other than hymns are used, local leaders have a responsibility to make sure they teach correct doctrine and are appropriate in all other ways. But in my opinion, prohibiting all such music is needlessly restrictive. Take, for example, "God So Loved the World" by John Stainer, which has been sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir dozens of times. It is a very worshipful choir number, and its text is precisely the words of John 3:16 -- definitely doctrinally correct.

I love the hymns of the Church and agree 100% that they should be the foundation of all music sung in church meetings. But as we have been taught by Elder Nelson and in the official handbooks, other music can be appropriate as well.